Bandits Attack Edo Seminary Again, Kill Officer, Abduct Three Seminarians

IN a harrowing repeat of violence, armed bandits stormed the Immaculate Conception Minor Seminary in Ivianokpodi, Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State, late on July 10, 2025.

The attack claimed the life of Mr. Christopher Aweneghieme, a Nigerian Civil Defence Corps officer, and led to the abduction of three teenage seminarians.

This marks the second attack on the seminary in under a year. In October 2024, a seminarian was killed and the rector, Rev. Fr. Thomas Oyode, was kidnapped and later released in a traumatised state.

Despite public promises of justice and improved security following that incident, no significant action or arrests have followed.

The latest assault has raised serious concerns about the safety of religious institutions in rural Nigeria and the growing boldness of armed groups targeting sanctuaries of faith.

The seminary, a sacred space for prayer and priestly formation, has now become a symbol of vulnerability and repeated violation.

“This is not merely a security failure it is a national moral collapse,” said Fr. Amos. “The sanctuary bleeds again. The Church’s future has been directly attacked.”

He questioned the repeated targeting of the seminary, which holds no economic or political assets, suggesting a deeper motive possibly a direct threat to the moral authority of the Church.

Fr. Amos lamented the absence of meaningful government response, contrasting Nigeria’s inaction with how other countries have swiftly handled similar attacks on educational and religious institutions.

In response, the Catholic Diocese of Auchi, under Most Rev. Dr. Gabriel Dunia, has mobilized spiritual efforts offering Masses, prayers, and processions. However, Church leaders emphasize that spiritual solidarity must be matched with state action.

“The Bishop cannot deploy troops,” Fr. Amos wrote. “The responsibility to protect citizens lies with the government.”

He called on Federal and State authorities to not only issue statements of regret but to take decisive action: apprehend the perpetrators, restore security, and ensure such attacks never happen again.

“This is not just about three abducted boys,” he wrote. “It’s about the sacred future of a nation. A priest takes a decade to form to interrupt that with guns is to cripple hope.”

The priest concluded with a stark warning: if evil strikes a third time and is met with silence, the Church’s sanctuary may not just be attacked it may be overrun.